Film Processing Artifacts Table

Category Appearance Causes

DEVELOPER RELATED

Underdevelopment Light or faint images Insufficient development time; Cold

developer (developer solution
temperature too low); Weak
developer solution (e.g., due to
dilution or depletion of chemicals)

Overdevelopment Dark images Excessive development time; High

developer temperature

Developer Contamination Irregular dark stains Fixer contamination entering the

developer solution

Developer Splashes Dark spots Splashing of developer onto the film

before processing

Developer Fog Uniform gray fog Prolonged development time;

Outdated or exhausted chemicals in
the developer

Incomplete Development Patchy or streaked images Uneven immersion of the film in the
developer solution; Improper
agitation during development

Bromide Drag Streaks or unevenness in the image Exhausted developer

FIXER RELATED

Inadequate Fixing Milky or cloudy film Insufficient fixing time; Weak or

exhausted fixer solution; Incorrect
temperature during fixing

Fixer Retention Brown or yellow stains over time Incomplete washing after fixing

Fixer Splashes Before Development White spots on the film Fixer splashing onto the film before
exposure to the developer

Fixer Depletion Poor image contrast or incomplete Exhausted fixer solution; Infrequent
clearing of unexposed silver halide replacement of fixer chemicals

WASHING RELATED

Inadequate Washing Yellowish-brown stains over time Insufficient washing time; Poor
water circulation; Use of stagnant or
contaminated water

Air Bubbles White spots where the film was not Air trapped on the film surface
in contact with chemicals during development or fixing

DRYING RELATED

Water Spots Round, clear or light-colored spots Uneven drying, leaving behind
water droplets; Hard water deposits
drying on the film surface
Uneven Drying Warped or wavy film Uneven air circulation during
drying; Excessive drying heat

Reticulation Mottled or cracked emulsion Sudden temperature changes

between processing solutions (e.g.,
developer and fixer)

HANDLING RELATED ARTIFACTS

Fingerprints Dark or light smudges Touching the film with wet, dirty, or
contaminated hands; Handling film
before it is fully dry

Scratches and Abrasions White lines or marks Scraping or rubbing the film when
the emulsion is soft and wet; Using
rough surfaces or tools when
handling

Kinking or Creasing Crescent-shaped marks (half-moon Bending or creasing the film during
artifacts) handling; Applying too much force
when loading or unloading film
from cassettes

Pressure Marks Black spots or streaks Excessive pressure applied to the

film before development; Stacking
films under heavy objects

ROLLER MARKS AND TRANSPORT

Guide Shoe Marks Fine, evenly spaced parallel lines Misaligned rollers or guide shoes
during the film transport process;
Incorrect positioning of the film as it
moves through the processing
equipment

Pi Lines Repetitive black or white marks at Dirty rollers or other processing

regular intervals equipment parts (e.g., rollers or film
guides)

Chatter Marks Alternating dark and light bands Uneven roller movement or
malfunctioning rollers; Inconsistent
film transport speed caused by dirty
or worn rollers

Crescent or Half-Moon Marks Crescent-shaped or Bending of the film during

half-moon-shaped marks transport; Excessive pressure on the
film as it moves through the rollers
or when the film is not properly
supported

Roller Scratches Fine, white scratches Dirty or worn-out rollers; Buildup of

dirt or chemicals on the rollers,
which scrapes against the film
during transport

Water Streaks Streaks or lines caused by water Uneven drying of the film, typically
droplets during drying due to trapped water droplets;
Contaminated water used in
washing or final rinse

STATIC AND DRYING ARTIFACTS

Static Discharge Artifacts Black tree-branch or starburst Static electricity discharge during
patterns film handling, especially in
low-humidity environments; Rapid
peeling of film from cassettes or
film holders; Friction between film
and dry surfaces

Wet-Pressure Sensitization Dark streaks or smudges Excessive pressure applied to wet

film; Improper handling of the film
during processing; Film rollers
exerting uneven pressure while the
film is wet

Emulsion Pickoff Areas of missing emulsion (white or Rollers or equipment pulling off
clear spots on the film) portions of the film emulsion;
Excessive friction or pressure from
processing rollers; Poor
maintenance of processing
equipment

PATIENT RELATED ARTIFACTS

Motion Blur Blurry or ghosted image Patient movement during exposure;

Inadequate immobilization
techniques; Long exposure times

Double Exposure Two overlapping images on a single Reusing the same film for two
film separate exposures; Failure to
replace the film between exposures

Foreign Objects Bright white artifacts Patient accessories (jewelry,

corresponding to the shape of the buttons, dentures, hearing aids);
object Clothing with metallic components
(zippers, snaps, bra wires); Surgical
implants or medical devices

TECHNIQUE RELATED ARTIFACTS

Grid Cut-Off Uneven exposure with areas of Misalignment of the X-ray tube with
lighter-than-normal density the grid; Improper grid focal
distance; Using a focused grid
upside down

Fogging from Scatter Radiation Overall gray haze reducing image Exposure to secondary (scatter)
contrast radiation before processing; Poor
collimation allowing unnecessary
exposure; Using expired or
improperly stored film

Quantum Mottle Grainy or mottled image Insufficient X-ray photons reaching

the film (low mAs settings);
High-speed imaging systems with
low exposure factors

FILM STORAGE ARTIFACTS

Light Fogging Darkened film with reduced Exposure to light leaks in the
contrast darkroom before processing;
Improperly closed or damaged film
packaging; Handling film under
improper safelight conditions
Heat and Humidity Damage Warped, sticky, or fogged film Storing film in high-temperature or
humid environments; Exposure to
moisture, leading to film emulsion
damage

Aged Film Foggy film with reduced contrast Using expired film past its shelf life;
and image quality Improper storage conditions
accelerating degradation

MECHANICAL HANDLING
ARTIFACTS

Pressure Marks (Mechanical Small, dark spots or areas Excessive handling pressure on
Handling) unprocessed film; Film being
stacked or pressed under heavy
objects

Crimping and Bending Crescent-shaped black marks or Bending or folding the film during
lines handling; Accidentally creasing the
film while loading into cassettes

Dust or Lint Contamination Small white specks or streaks Film being exposed while dust or
lint is present on the surface; Dirty
darkroom or film cassettes

ELECTROSTATIC ARTIFACTS

Static Tree Branching Black tree-like branching patterns Static discharge due to low
humidity; Peeling apart film rapidly;
Friction from handling or storage

Lightning Marks Large, irregular white or black Sudden electrical discharge from
marks resembling a lightning bolt film handling; Extremely high static
buildup